East Bay Tiki Bars?

I'm 57 years old and remember when my dad used to take me around to all his favorite tiki lounges in the East Bay Area. We drove to them in a 1949 Plymouth. Back then it was prerfectly okay to plop your kid at the bar next to you and have a drink or two. Although my tiki mugs only got filled with OJ. I do not remember there ever being any "shiney" tiki mugs at most of them. But they all had faces.
One of his favorite tiki bars was near downtown San Leandro - anybody have any info on that place? I still remember, as you walked in, the bar was on the right and the tables on the left. Not a large place at all.

I don't think that San Leandro bar is around any more, but the East Bay is now a mecca of tiki bars:

Forbidden Island
Conga Room
Trader Vic's
and one or two others I'm not recalling at the moment.

Forbidden Island is a must-visit. It's the best tiki bar in Northern California.

If you're interested in taking a plunge into the tiki deep end, I recommend visiting Swanberg's on J for the Tiki Farm event in September in Sacramento (check the California Events section) AND attending at least the East Bay Tiki Crawl 8 (CA events again or the banner ad at the top of the page) in October. Both should be great and will give you the opportunity to meet some interesting people and sample interesting drinks.

Hi Chief,
I know that SL bar is not there anymore - it disappeared before 1965. I was just wondering what its name was.
Finkitiki

On 2008-07-22 09:27, Finkitiki wrote:
Hi Chief,
I know that SL bar is not there anymore - it disappeared before 1965. I was just wondering what its name was.
Finkitiki

There was a tiki bar on East 14th in San Leandro in the early 90's. I can't remember the name. It was something like Tiki Time or the Tiki Shack.

[ Edited by: Naneki 2008-07-22 13:01 ]

[ Edited by: Naneki 2008-07-22 13:01 ]

The one I was talking about was back in around 1959 or so. I think it was on Washington near East 14th.

I found this old post from Mr Smiley:

SNEAKY TIKI (also Joe's Sneaky Tiki ), San Leandro, CA (bar)

It was on E 14th, just a bit south of Washington, but was in business at least into the '80s per the comments on that thread. Does that ring any bells?

I've added an entry in Critiki for Joe's Sneaky Tiki:
Joe's Sneaky Tiki, San Leandro

Maybe if we're lucky, Bosko will re-post the broken image of the matchbook.

That sure is in the same area I was thinking about. I would know right away if I saw a pic of it. I thought for sure it closed down in the 60's but maybe there was another reason we stopped going. Thanks!

Is this the place?
The Tabou Lounge & Nightclub
14572 E 14th Street
San Leandro, CA 94578
(510) 357-7777

It appears that this place has gone the route of many of the old timey classic bars in the East Bay area of Hayward and San Leandro along E 14th St or Mission Blvd, like The Driftwood. Not that there's anything wrong with that. :wink: A quick search on Google Maps turned up this link (Caution, may not be safe for work) with this information:
OUT is a gay dance club in SAN LEANDRO every Tuesday featuring 70s-90s music at Club Tabou at 14572 E 14th St; 930pm-2am; 510-357-7777

Wow that is cool but it is not the one I remember as the door did not face the street. And parking was to the left side of the building. It was probably just a neighborhood style bar but boy was it cool. Their mugs were really cool too. I remember the mirror behind the bar and bamboo everywhere.
My dad must have liked it a lot as he bought his own bar in San Leandro in the late 60's.

On 2008-07-23 19:59, Mai Tai wrote:
Is this the place?
The Tabou Lounge & Nightclub
14572 E 14th Street
San Leandro, CA 94578
(510) 357-7777

It appears that this place has gone the route of many of the old timey classic bars in the East Bay area of Hayward and San Leandro along E 14th St or Mission Blvd, like The Driftwood. Not that there's anything wrong with that. :wink: A quick search on Google Maps turned up this link (Caution, may not be safe for work) with this information:
OUT is a gay dance club in SAN LEANDRO every Tuesday featuring 70s-90s music at Club Tabou at 14572 E 14th St; 930pm-2am; 510-357-7777

I lived in San leandro from 1990 to 1992 and that looks like the place I remember. It had a thatch type overhang in the front. It was interesting enough that we always commented on it when we drove past. If I had lived closer I might have gone in. It was the only thing in San Leandro that had any sort of pizzazz.

On 2008-07-24 10:41, Finkitiki wrote:
Wow that is cool but it is not the one I remember as the door did not face the street. And parking was to the left side of the building. It was probably just a neighborhood style bar but boy was it cool. Their mugs were really cool too. I remember the mirror behind the bar and bamboo everywhere.
My dad must have liked it a lot as he bought his own bar in San Leandro in the late 60's.

Well, that is just the pic from Google Maps. There could be parking on the other side of the building as well, as well as a side door there. Some things could have been reconfigured over the last forty years, plus buildings could have been built next door on the left side where the parking lot was, front door added or changed, etc. I grew up not far from there, and used to pass through that area virtually daily on my way to junior high and high school, which was not far from Bayfair Mall.

Speaking of changes, you wouldn't recognize Bayfair Mall either. It has gone through numerous changes, such as the Bayfair BART station, no more race track, or drive in movie theater, and Bayfair Lanes Bowling Alley is gone as well, to make room for a Century Movie Cineplex, so you can enjoy listening to everyone chattering away on their cell phones and dropping their 40's of St. Ides while the movie is playing.

I still live in the East Bay, (still keepin' it real in the Nickle-Dime!) but in Alameda now (Stay Classy, Alameda!). I'll see if I can swing by to snap off a few pics the next time I roll through San Leandro, in the next couple of weeks or so.

To add to the list of current tiki bars in the East Bay: The Kona Club in Oakland http://www.konaclub.net/

They also sell a nifty tiki mug with their name on it, as well as a beer glass and old fashioned glass with their colorful logo, and tee shirts -- but alas not online; you have to go there. It's located where the old Kings X bar used to be.

Hi Mai Tai,
You are right - I am sure it might have changed in 40 years!
I used to work in San Leandro for over ten years - over off Marina on Cherry I believe. From 67 to 77. Then I just had to move out of the bay area. I was born in Alameda and that was where my grandparents lived - GREAT town. My mother was born there too. We always used to go get ice cream at a place called Tommy Tucker's. MMMMM good! And I think we had waffles across the street at Ole's?

On 2008-07-24 17:50, Finkitiki wrote:
Hi Mai Tai,
You are right - I am sure it might have changed in 40 years!
I used to work in San Leandro for over ten years - over off Marina on Cherry I believe. From 67 to 77. Then I just had to move out of the bay area. I was born in Alameda and that was where my grandparents lived - GREAT town. My mother was born there too. We always used to go get ice cream at a place called Tommy Tucker's. MMMMM good! And I think we had waffles across the street at Ole's?

Tucker's Ice Cream, still on Park Street, although it has moved locations down the street a couple blocks. Just the other week, we all had a custom ice cream cake from them for a friend's birthday party at Forbidden Island. We also went to Ole's Waffle Shop that weekend as well - still great, and going strong - over a half hour wait to get it. The Naval Air Station has been closed, but one of the empty hangars is now home to St. George's Spirits, makers of Hangar One Vodka, and Absinthe. And they have a really great antiques fair the first Sunday of every month on the grounds of the old base - people come from Southern California, and even out of state to sell there. A restoration has just been completed on the old historic Alameda Theater as well, a $40+ Million rennovation - same architecht that did the Paramount Theater in Oakland - and built an 8 theater cineplex and parking structure next door. I'm fortunate enough to live within walking distance of the new theater, and also less than two miles away from Forbidden Island - we really like living here, and will probably stay a while.

I'll see if I can drum up some pics of that bar over the next week or so. Cheers!

Hi Mai Tai,
I was going to ask you about the Alameda Theater next! That was so beautiful. Do you know the name of the street that is on? I remember across the street from it was where I got my haircut in the 50's and two doors over was a toy store. And if I am not totally wrong I think my mom's high school was just down a block. Boy - Alameda was so cool.

Alameda is STILL cool!

The theater is on Central Avenue, between Park and Oak. The've restored the old theater beautifully and added 7 more screens next door where the video store used to be, and a multi-floor parking structure behind that, next to the Long's parking lot. The cineplex has been styled to still give it that art deco feel of the original theater, so you don't look at it and say "Hey, look at that big modern mega plex!" The best part is that you can still get a movie ticket, small popcorn, and a drink for $16! All that would cost $20 if you just crossed the Estuary to Jack London Square.

They've also totally re-modeled the Southshore Center, sadly they've given it that overdone faux-mediterranean look, and renamed it "Alameda Towne Centre". It's nowhere near the center of town, but at least it now has a Bed Bath & Beyond, Trader Joe's, and Borders.

Then there's the coolness of having the best Tiki Lounge in the world!!!

Thanks everyone for the great info. What a wonderful site this is.

Okay, have to chime in. I strolled through SouthShore, err, Town Center shopping center the other day and was REALLY surprised. It's gone totally high end, well higher, end. I was completely shocked. They have a higher end Mexican restaurant in the center of it, a Nine-West Store, Chipotle is going in, The Childrens Store, (they kicked Mervyns out claiming it was too low end)...in addition to everything Jen Tiki mentioned.

Wow the nickle dime stay classy Alameda locale is gaining in stature. I remember as a SouthShore as a kid (Mai Tai dragged me back to Alameda after being gone for 15 years) as being kind of run down with second hand stores...and as a really little kid, they used to have rickety but fun kids rides there. So the changes are amazing to me.

BTW, the old high school is still there. It's gorgeous. They built a new box style high school a block away, in the early '80's...because the old one wasn't earthquake proof. The old Alameda high now houses the adult school classes. The old library (built and funded by Rockerfeller funds) is still there too, but it's empty now -- earthquake retrofitting and hopefully will be repurposed. The theatre restoration was really well done. It's the best example of an art deco restoration in the Bay Area. They're restoring the Art Deco Fox Theatre in Oakland as well -- so that will be interesting to see. Yes, Alameda -- and East Bay has it's charms.

Why the hell would they put a Chipotle in a city with so many great places for burritos? Anyone looking for a happy heartattack should skip Chipotle and get a chicharone burrito from Ramiro and Sons. Now I'm hungry again. Damnit!

I remember when the South Shore shopping center was first built. It wasn't so hot then. I am pretty sure that was all marshlands that was filled in correct? Anyway - I like old Alameda better. Here is another question: is there an Alameda newspaper?

There are two Alameda newspapers: The Alameda Sun Times, and the Alameda Journal. I doubt that you'll find either online though.

Thank you Jentiki,
Looks like I should saddle up and make a trip back to the island of my birth!

The old Alameda newspaper that you're probably thinking about...locally owned and run by the Kaufman family (jeez this was a village) is long gone. Now the two papers are run and distributed by large media busineses out of Hayward and San Mateo.

And yes, I totally agree on the burrito thing TIKI KAIMUKI. :)

Okay, here's an unusually awesome update on the info we have on Joe's Sneaky Tiki, thanks to a kind email message I received from a helpful Critiki visitor named Mary Ramos:

You are truly a profound moron. Where the fuck did you get your info on Joe's Sneaky Tiki? First of all the bar remained there until 1992, how do I know that? because I used to own it, look it up, or check with A.B.C. alcoholic beverage control. Please correct your rediculious website.

Here's the Critiki entry she's referring to, if any of you are relying on this erroneous, "rediculious" entry as a reference in important scientific papers, I must ask you to revise your publications:

The Sneaky Tiki, or Joe's Sneaky Tiki, was a Hawaiian bar in San Leandro that operated until at least the '80s. At some point it was run by Joe Denton and Don Groom; Don was a bartender. After it closed, the space later became Tabou Lounge, and Club Caliente.

Now if you'll excuse me, I have to call the Alcohol Control Boards around the world to make sure I have only the most accurate information in Critiki. It may take me a few years, as there are 654 locations I have to check on, and I am a profound moron, which makes it all sort of a pokey process. But it'll be worth it! :)

In all seriousness, this message sort of made my night. Let's hear it for passion!

Go Humu... You rock baby!!

Hey, at least she called you profound!

Sounds like an angry drunken rant...

Bad Drunks shouldn't own bars.

"Profound Moron" needs to either be the name of a new drink or at the very least it should go on a t-shirt. Pissed off people just crack me up!